Well, bidding process for new relocation of the World Endurance Championship ends today. Now we need to wait until 14 June, when the FEI will announce the new venue of WEC 2016.

The only candidate venue announced publicly is Fontainebleau, France.
It seems that the OC of Fontainebleau is absolutely sure for their winning of bidding process, that they will hold so-called Test Ride even prior to the final decision of the FEI.

They announced to hold Test Ride on 4 June, 10 days before the date of official announce of the new venue.

So, if Fontainebleau will win. What will happen?

All European riders will be happy. All French horse-owners will be very-very happy, because… read below.

The previous World Endurance Championship also was held in France, in Normandy 2014.

Of total 166 horses:
– 104 horses from Europe,
– 62 horses from other continents,
including:
– 21 horses from Group 7,
– 41 horses from other countries.

So, only 41 horses of 166 were brought from other continents like America, Asia and Australia.
125 horses or 75% of total horses were from Europe and Group 7.

Every third non-European rider was riding on the rented European horse.

15 of 33 rented horses were French horses. So, almost half of rented horses gave money to the French horse-owners.
That’s why they are now happily rubbing their hands in anticipation of the big profits from the rental of their horses to the non-European riders.

If you will ask the riders from America, from Asia and Australia, are they happy now? They were prepared to the WEC in Dubai with free transportation of their horses. And now they are forced to seek extra money for horse transportation to the France. Or they are forced to pay to the French horse-owners for renting French horses.

In fact, the World Championship in Normandy 2014 became the World Championship of European Horses for the most part. And now the same situation can be happened in Fontainebleau.